what is illucia?

two things:
1) a patchbay controller for connecting computer programs.
2) a free suite of interconnectable games and software.

interconnectable software?

illucia programs can communicate with each other. You can pipe one videogame's world into another, make drum machines play word processors, remix music using paint programs, and generally connect software in strange ways.

Because illucia games and software expose their interior worlds (via OSC), you're able to take events and data from one program and send them to another.

a patchbay controller?

illucia's patchbay controller lets you play with software connections using jacks and cables.
It is a physical interface for connecting computer programs.

Most software draws clear lines for where one program ends and another begins. illucia lets you rework and blur those boundaries in realtime with a physical controller - it lets you play a network like an instrument.

can I buy one?

A small run of 20 units was produced, but are now sold out. Each unit was hand assembled (with almost entirely flown-out wiring for long life) into a cnc-machined enclosure. These were closer to art objects than a product line. illucia is open source hardware though, so you're free to build and distribute units if you like.

open source hardware?

All of the illucia patchbay's source code, schematics, and design are available under an open source hardware license. illucia is yours to build, modify, or even distribute. I only ask for attribution and a mention that your version is a variation of my design.

how does the hardware work?

The user guide explains in detail, but briefly: illucia is a USB device (Mac/Win/Linux compatible). It communicates with a custom program on your computer called illuciaConnect. This program sends OSC messages when you turn knobs, press buttons, flip switches, or connect jacks. This means illucia's hardware can control any programs that listen for OSC messages.

illuciaConnect listens for OSC messages too - it has addresses for the brightness of illucia's LEDs and the jacks in the patchbay. If you map the inputs & outputs of OSC-enabled programs to these jack addresses, you can route messages between them in realtime using patch cables.

does illucia work with other software & hardware?

Absolutely. illucia's hardware can easily control any software that speaks OSC (you can also modify it to work with anything else as it is Open Source Hardware). Similarly, the games speak OSC and are compatible with countless other controllers and software. Faderboxes, keyboards, Monomes, Max, pd, programing languages, IanniX, and beyond. OSC is widely supported, so illucia has many friends.

does it use CV? will it work with my modular synth?

illucia's patchbay doesn't interface with CV devices. It is a USB controller, like a mouse, keyboard, or faderbox. It has a microcontroller inside that knows out what jacks are connected, and tells your computer when new connections are made or broken. This information is used by illuciaConnect on your computer to forward OSC messages. Do not plug other devices into illucia's patchbay (it could cause damage).

That said, illucia is excellent for controlling software like Silent Way or Beap which let your computer's soundcard generate control voltage.

illucia is built on top of several open source tools. Processing and Arduino/Teensy are the technological foundation.

The inspiration for illucia came from several places. In many ways, it is a love letter to the contributions that Don Buchla and Bob Moog made to culture – illucia is an experiment in applying their ideas and spirit to the medium of videogames. Similarly, the wiggler community's knowledge and dialogue were essential to this project. On the videogame side, the work and writing of people like Jon Blow, Ian Bogost, Jason Rohrer, and Keita Takahashi were all major sources of inspiration. The medium is lucky to have such voices in the mix.

Massive thanks to Slime Girls for letting me the song "Intro" in an illucia video! Their Vacation Wasteland EP is absolutely fantastic! Give it a listen and support their work. Also, some of my graphic design/illustration is homage to the amazing and playful work of Giovanni Pintori.

is this related to Ming Mecca?

Yes. illucia and Ming Mecca both let you patch videogames, but in different ways.

Ming Mecca is a voltage controlled videogame console. It interfaces with eurorack modular synthesizers and (incredibly) lets you create and play game worlds using voltage. You use patch cables to connect Ming Mecca to other eurorack modules.

illucia is a patchable videogame system, but for your computer. It has a USB patchbay controller and suite of interconnectable software – it brings the philosophy and physical interface of modular synths to computer programs.

Also, Jordan at special stage systems is a close friend of mine, and a truly brilliant designer. I'm very fortunate to have had his help, guidance, and inspiration over the years; he is an essential part of the project – illucia absolutely would not exist without him.

concepts

why patchable videogames?

illucia properly began in 2010 when I wrote a few small games that could speak OSC and thus communicate with worlds outside their own. I found that videogames erupted into strange & fascinating behavior when connected into each other, or when controlled with sine waves, step sequencers, and other modulation sources often used in synthesizers. It is a lot of fun pumping games with alien data and watching them burst into generative audiovisuals.

I also learned that videogames themselves make great controllers. I started creating sound and music by using activity from games to control samplers and synthesizers. Sort of like videogame DJing.

Eventually I got tired of using a mouse for all this and wanted a physical interface for exploring these types of connections. Given that the idea originated with modular synthesizers, a digital patchbay seemed like an obvious choice. I also realized a patchbay would work great in a performance setting – an audience can actively watch someone patch, which helps laptop performers avoid looking like they're checking their email while onstage.

I built a large prototype (illucia console) at the end of 2010, but soon wanted something portable (small, durable, USB powered) made from commonly available parts and open source tools. illucia dtr was created and shown 2011, refined in 2012, and is now publicly available as open source hardware.

I think this is stupid. now what?

No big. illucia probably isn't something that everyone will love. I think that could be a good thing, actually.

So much of computer culture is made by large teams of people, usually with the goal of safely pleasing giant markets and offending as few people as possible. Quite often, this is a great thing. These massive technology corporations often make incredible contributions to human culture – some drastically reduce suffering and shunt us into exciting new frontiers – but –

What if computer software and hardware could also become a more radical space for individual expression and critical thinking?

Literature, visual art, and music all encourage this – are computer software and hardware not equally compelling mediums? Couldn't personal, creative technology prove meaningful and important to humankind? What would the world look like if more people were empowered and encouraged to unfold their own technological voice?

If you believe that current computer culture and technology could be different - if you're left out, frustrated, or even just bored – you can do something different. You.

Maybe you think illucia is stupid – yes! That is great! Follow that. Get critical. Think about it. What makes it stupid? What would make it better? What is it missing? Or, go larger: what is technology missing? Who does technology ignore? How are you left out? What is your background and how does technology exclude you? What systems are in place that make this the case? What would be more important or exciting for you? Is there something that might make the world better or more interesting that only you can see? Maybe you don't know - and how would you? But what if you invested in yourself and explored something you're curious about (or upset by) no matter how silly it might seem? There are so many amazing open tools and free resources for learning new things. Why not take matters into your own hands?
In technology or elsewhere. Regardless of how different it is from what people around you value. You might fail. Again and again and again. For years. But what if you hold on? What if you keep investing in yourself, slowly? What if you stay patient with yourself somehow? Just to see what could happen. You might surprise yourself. I bet you could do it.